Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1887-07-01
"Charles Egbert Craddcck."

covery of a feminine personality be-
hind the nom de plume of Charles
Erbert Craddock. While well known
that Craddock was an assumed name,
tie style, subjcct-mat.er, even the
handwriting. contained no feminine
suggestions. Yet Miss Mary Noailles
Aarfree is distinctly a woman in the
truest SEM, possessing feminine ac-
cSmpliShmentS ami attractions that
have made her always social leader
aad favorite. Speaking of her as a
woman. friend has said, 1T is re-
freshing tn find an intellectual woman
free from George Eliot's haunting
spectre of despair, aud the morbid
wretchedness of Charlotte Bronte's
nervous little body; To see the cheer
fulness and yivacity of Jane Austen
and Maria Edgeworth once more
united to genius and womanly tastes
and feeliugs-to Christian faith, pu-
rity, and goodness.
On the paternal side. Miss Murfree
Is descended from distinguished
family Of North Carolina. her great
grandfather. Major Hardy Murfree.
for whom the towns of Murfreesbor-
ough. in North Carolina and Tennes-
see are named. having done good SER
Ese in the Revolutionary war. and
received in return large grant Of
tsnd IN Tennessee, upon which Charles
E.sbert traddock-shc prefers to be
known by this uame-wa- born. Her
grandfather. for maay years member
af Congress from North Carolina. re-
moved ,o Tennessee. where her father.
= man of some literary atta;uments.
MAS, prior Ia the war. a prominent
lawyer PCS essed IF extensive landed
estates. Her mother whose mother
WAS Murfree comes uf one of the
--s.ading aud most influential families
In the State. Becoming lame from a
strok. of paralys sis in her childhood.
which in no wise dimmcd an unu-
ssselly bright disposition. she was de-
sssrTed from the ordinary amu>e-
nents of Youth. and developed a read
Ing lfSs,is. was ALWAYS a hard student
ia school ansi out. encouraged by an
intellectual and cultivated family
ssfrcl.. Bat sInubtlts, she wuul,l never
have achieved her brilliant literary
success had not the fortunes If war
srsvcsl disastrous. Mr. Murfrre found
.il necessary tn give up hi> hous,s in
Nashville. aud Grantiaud-. Crasldoeks
birthplace. was the battlefield II
duTfres-lnrough. This Oil home
stead and its surroundings she has ae-
vsarateIy described in her first novel.
/. .swhrre the Battle was Fough," ia
hss,k IT strong parts. bat deficient IN
Construction. yet containing one of her
szaoss perfectly drawn and finished
characters. General Wayne, pprtrai:
frwm the life. In this emergency the
fansiiy retired to Mnrtrre's Rock.
ssssslI cottage p-rrhci upon crag j
e -ar neersheba. waterIng.plaes in
- rss~nsss4~s .ss"nntsiRsr where they
were wont 10 spend ,hs sumsnea'
months Here in this elevated region.
overlooking miles Of valleys. NOUN
;ains. and unduiating hills. peoplcd
with the picturesque and primitive
race ot her rumauceS she uuCon-
sciuu-ly absorbed shs material for her
future work. Standing on the porch
pf the little cottage. gazing uut over
the magnificent landscape at sunset.
she formulated in her mind story
which ultimately grew inta the sN-
auis.tc The Star in the Valley" but
II Was not written then. About mine
Years a ~. after the family hal gone
down IL live NJ the sadly-alicresl old
homestead. near MurfTeestnruu-h
bcfurr the final move tn ~ Lou :.
their present place of residence. the
iirsi ,tor, Il I'm the Tennessee Muun-
tain> cam, into existence. This WAS
The Danciu Party ut Hlrr.>oI'-
Cove which first >aw ;hr ! Sht ia the
.IiitHt4s NDEsh'g. Other stores fol-
lowed. each rNhibitiu. rare drsct -
tive powers gift which she has
since SOM WI hat sba~s1l a ~ir.Ig
-ra<pnf usvel suhjcct and '.ialrct,
aud = ,tyl, as onr,. bnIi and delicate.
1t is itttic wonder that w!icn collected
ina volume their publication was an
event. that \ s.u>at'"u resulted from
the discovery that woman "f society
had written "A-Playin of Old Slcdgc
at the Settlement" and The 'Harnt
that Walks chilhowre, depicting
with masculine force the fierce pas
sion>. the minute daily life. of scant
civilization seemingly difficult task
fora mans accomplishment. But il Is
characteristic of Miss Murfrccs en-
ergy and earueSine>s that uo obstacle
raised merely by her sex i permitted
Ia block the work in hand; thus she
made careful study oi the game OF
poker for the sake of scene in
Where the Battle was Fought, and
has acquired a knowledge of many
abstruse points of law. Her second
novel. The Prophet Of the Great
Smoky Mountains, in which is un-
folded the story of an iliterate noun
tain preacher and his wrestlings with
unbclief. is series IF splendid scenes.
somewhat disconnected, abounding in
beautiful aud graphic descriptions, and
dealing entirely with the mountain
eers, thus lacking the variety which
enhanced the charm of many of the
shorter stories. In the Clouds, her
latest work, shows u mastery of con-
struction. in which lis predecessors
were deficient, possesses their salient
features with some new ones, ana
goes far to establish an already as
sured reputation.-Ch Charles W. Cole
man, Jr., m Hdrpcrs.